Grigory Tarasevich Will Replace Kliment Kolesnikov in 200 Back at Worlds

Russia has summoned Grigory Tarasevich to join their roster for the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships later this month in Gwangju, South Korea. He will race the 200 backstroke, with the heats and semi-finals being held on Thursday July 25th and the final a day later.

The spot opened up when the 2018 SwimSwam Swammy Awards World Swimmer of the Year Kliment Kolesnikov dropped the event. He’ll focus on the 50 and 100 backstroke instead at Worlds. The 18-year old won 3 European Championship gold medals last summer, including in the 50 and 100 backstroke individually, along with a backstroke sweep (50/100/200) at the Summer Youth Olympics.

At the European Championships, he had the third-fastest prelims time in the 200 back at 1:57.31, and yet, by European rules, he still did not advance. That’s because his teammates Evengy Rylov and Tarasevich had the 2 fastest times. At the European Championships, countries can enter up to 4 swimmers in each individual event, but only 2 can advance out of prelims.

That Kolesnikov would participate in the World Championships at all was in doubt until recently as he battles ongoing shoulder injuries.

While Kolesnikov won the 50 back at the Russian Championships, his countrymate Rylov won the two longer distances – by a narrow margin in the 100, and comfortably in the 200.

This could conceivably open up a slot in the mixed medley relay for Tarasevich as well, depending on how Kolesnikov performs in the individual 100 back (which is before the relay) and how many swims they want to put on his shoulder. Russia recently has used men on the backstroke and freestyle legs of the mixed medleys in medal rounds of late.

Tarasevich won gold in the 100 back at the 2019 World University Games/Summer Universiade this week in 53.51. Final entries for the World Championships were due to FINA earlier this week.

Backstroke Results, 2019 Russian Championships

Men’s 50m:

1. Kolesnikov – 24.77
2. Rylov – 24.83
3. Tarasevich – 24.91

Men’s 100m:

1. Rylov – 52.84
2. Kolesnikov – 53.03
3. Tarasevich – 53.29

Men’s 200m:

1. Rylov – 1:54.00
2. Kolesnikov – 1:56.07
3. Tarasevich – 1:57.54